Shot placement. Chase him down. Put some resistance on the line before he spooled you.

 

I had the trigger on my retriever as tight as i could grab and he was still stripping line out.

 

I'd grab that troller as fast as you can and Can it after him! then get another arrow in him or use a gaff if you were all alone

 

Happened to me once, we hit the troller and chased it down. Got that one, but we hit 30 + common that stripped out line so fast there was nothing you could do about it.
That would go under the classification of, "ya win some ya loose some" lol.

 

I would invest in a slotted retriever. Or the bigger bottle with more line.

 

It is a slotted. Sure wish i would have had a float on there....but i would have never guessed i would have needed it. Bottle wont fit anymore line. guess ill have to be more quick to jump on the troller n chase em down.

 

Run him down with the troller. If you can't, then get a bigger troller

 

id say throw away the retriever and put on a muzzy. that way you can put some drag on him and slow it down

 

+1 there

 

Chase him with the troller i stuck a grassie the other nite way out there going away and got one barb under the skin just chased him with the troller put another one in him and got it in the boat . You put to much drag on them big soft fish this time of year and all your gonna get back is an arrow most will make a hard run then tire out quick.

 

By the time I release the arrow my hands already on the troller with it kicked wide open. I usually flip the Anti reverse switch on my ti 20 and let them run. A few times in the past ive grabbed an arrow out of the tube with no line on it and stuck them in the head

 

we use the big bottle and 50 yard line... right when it takes off grab your line gently and quickly star applying pressure like car brakes bringing your truck to a smooth stop... while doing this troll at it... the big bottle has only been spooled 3 times on me.. and they were the fastest fish ive ever seen... good luck bud!

 

Stinger or gene Davis would solve this issue

 

I don't have an answer but I do have a question. I hope I not hijacking. In a situation like this, would a frog gigging fork have been of any use? It may not be practical or safe?

 

There's no running down fish out here. On the river if the pull off they go hide in the weeds, on the lakes they head straight for deeper water!

 

We only run tillers. If we hit a 20#+ one, the driver instantly hits the gas and catches up with them while the person "plays" the fish. Then whoever else hits them with a second arrow. Fish can't out run the tiller!

 

never had a fish spool me with a muzzy. even with it not full of line. have shot several 50 plus pound fish and a couple of 60s and no spools. drag works wonders on big fish

 

sounds to me there wasnt nothin you could do.

 

I had a big grassy like 50 plus do that on the bank before hit him good high back shot and he took off across the lake like a rocket never slowing down. Ripped all the line out the big bottle back when I shot a bottle and tore the arrow out

 

I've hit the knot in the bottom of the bottle before in the same situation. I don't think there is a right answer. might be able to add some resistance by hand in addition to the wheel, but I think that's about the extent. I run a troller and there's not a snowballs chance in hell of running down a fish running like that. expecially when they run down at a 45deg angle.

 

Big fish, I keep slack and chase, once he slows I gain the slack till we can get a second arrow in or if alone ill gaff under the chin. Worst thing you can do is grab the line like a dog running out of lease. Pull out a lot of arrows that way. Easier to apply steady drag with reels.

 

ive always been taught keep slight pressure on him . same thing when rod fishin, dont let slack in your line.